Thorgils Sprakling

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Sigrid _____. Sigrid blev født før 975; døde efter 1001. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

1. Ulf Sprakling blev født cirka 995 i Danelaw region, England; døde i dec. 1026 i Roskilde, Sjælland, Danmark; blev begravet i Roskilde Cathedral, Sjælland.
2. Gytha Thorgilsdatter blev født cirka 1001 i Danelaw region, England; døde efter 1067.

Styrbjörn blev gift med Thyra Haraldsdatter cirka 975. Thyra (datter af Harald I Blaatand _____) blev født cirka 955 i Danmark; døde den 18 sep. 1000 i Norge. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1 d-note

Notater:

It is unlikely that Harald's nickname "Blaatand" is connected to histeeth, as the oldest known version of his name is "Blatan" - but nobodyseems to know its meaning. According to "Nachkommen Gorms des Alten" (S.Otto Brenner, 1978) was first married to Gunhild (-965-) and second toTove (-970-); the mother(s) of Harald's children are uncertain.

Adam of Bremen wrote that Harald reigned for 50 years, but perhaps thiswas just his way of saying "many". Harald conquered Norway in 960, andthus became the King of both Denmark and Norway. The Roskilde Chroniclestell that Harald reigned for 15 years together with his father, Gorm; andalso relate a story about Bishop Poppo carrying red-hot iron withoutburning his fingers, and thus convincing Harald of Christ's superiorstrength over the old Norse gods, Odin and Thor. After which, circa 965,Harald decided to be baptized as a Christian. This story became widelytold, and can be seen depicted on church frescoes all over Europe. In965 the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great granted tax exemptions to hisbishops in Schleswig, Ribe, and Aarhus - which could be interpreted asmeaning that he had transferred them to Harald.

The third addition to the embankment of the Viking fortress of Dannevirkeis dated to 968, and thus must have been done during Harald's reign. Hewas also responsible for the construction of other Viking fortresses:Trelleborg in 980-981, and also of Fyrkat, and probably also ofAggersborg in Skåne. He also had constructed a bridge, calledRavningbro, across the inlet at Vejle in 979. That he could undertakesuch massive construction projects attests to his having a strong andunited command over the population.

According to the annals, Harald - referred to as Duke (Hertug) - paid histaxes to Emperor Otto in 973. Otto died that same year, and since theDuke of Saxony, Herman Billung, had also just recently died, Haralddecided in 974 now was the time to wage a war to free Denmark from theoverlordship of the Germanic empire. The resulting war can be foundchronicalled in several annals, and in Snorri's "Heimskringla", whichtell of heavy battles at Dannevirke, ending with Danish defeat. Haraldnow has to pay taxes to Emperor Otto II, and the southern part ofSchleswig (from Dannevirke to the the Eider River) becomes part of Saxony.

In 982 Otto II suffered a defeat at the hands of the arabs, and both theSlavs and the Danes rebelled, trying to free themselves from the Germanicempire. Harald took back the land he had lost in 974, and refused to payany further taxes to the Germans. However the peace treaty, in which theEmperor relinquish Hedeby and the land north of the Eider, was not signeduntil the time of Harald's grandson, Knud den Store, circa 1025. Haraldhad fortified a fortress in Poland, called Jomsborg, against attacks fromthe Vends. In 975 his forces stationed at Jomsborg suffered a defeat atHjørungavåg and as a result he lost control of Norway.

On a Rune-stone located in what is now the Jelling churchyard is carvedthe following inscription in old Norse:

(Translated to modern Danish:)
"Harald Konge bød gioere kumler disse efter Gorm fader sin og efter Thyramoder sin, den Harald som sig vandt hele Danmark og Norge og gjordedanerne kristne."

(Translated to English:)
"King Harald raised these Rune-stones to honour his father Gorm and hismother Thyra, the Harald who won all of Denmark and Norway, and made theDanes christians."

The text on Harald's Jelling-stone ends with (but may have been addedlater): "the Harald who won all of Denmark and Norway". However, theFrankish annals tell us that Denmark was a complete country long beforeGorm and Harald. Skåne, Jylland, and the islands in-between, had beenruled by the same king now and then, for instance: under King Godfred inthe early 800s. By 811-813 the Danish kingdom encompassed an area from:the Eider River in the south, to Skåne in the east, to Vestfold (OsloFjord) in the north. Also, the travelogues of Attar and Wulfstan fromthe end of the 800s tell of a Denmark consisting of: Oslo Fjord, theprovinces of Bohus, Halland and Skåne, the Danish islands, and Jyllandpeninsula down to the Eider River; at that time Blekinge belonged toSweden, and Bornholm had its own king. But it would be safe to say it isonly from the time of Harald that the kingdom of Denmark seems to havebecome a stabile entity.

So there is no reason to believe that either Gorm or Harald gatheredtogether several small kingdoms into one country known as Denmark. Thetext from Harald's Jelling-stone could be interpreted as meaning: "theHarald who recovered for himself Denmark and Norway". There is somecircumstantial evidence that Gorm lost Skåne and Norway, as well as hislife, in 958 and that what Harald accomplished was merely a re-conquest.But the standard explanation is that Harald held the lands from thebeginning, and that what he won was merely the area around Haithabu, in983, which he had first lost to Emperor Otto II.

Harald's son Svend Tveskæg led an uprising against his father in 986.During a battle Harald was wounded, and is said to have fled toJomsburg. It is recorded that he hid in a little town named variouslyas: Iumne, Julin, Hyumsburgh, Iumneta, Vineta, which today is known asWolin, and is located on the eastern outflow of the Oder River. A listof names to be prayed for tells us that he probably died on November 1,986 or 987.

(Sources: "Det danske Rige i den ældre Vikingetid", Erik Kroman, 1976,pages 115-123; "Da klinger i Muld", Steen Hvass and Birger Storgaard,1993; "Ottar og Wulfstan", Niels Lund, 1983.)

This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1/G2 d-not

Notater:

Gorm den gamle: Da han blev foto- graferet, var der ikke så meget tilbageaf ham, men dog nok til at hans højde kunne bestemmes til 172 cm. Hanblev først begravet i den nordlige Jellinghøj, men senere bisat påkristen vis i Jelling kirke.

The predecessor kingdom to Norway and Denmark was called Haithabu (alsoknown as: Hedeby or Haddeby), but we don't know much about it. It isbelieved that Haithabu was established by the Viking chieftain Olaf fromSvealand. Olaf's son Gnupa was however killed in battle (against theDanish King Hardeknud?), and his kingdom vanished. It is believed thatthis kingdom once could have included parts of southern Norway, Jylland,and northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), at least prior to 850-900.King Gorm is said to have regained Haithabu A.D. 935.

Haithabu was Scandinavia's greatest trading power. The kings during thatperiod were likely not sovereign kings. Kings prior to Harold Haarfager(ruled 865-890) have never been historically confirmed, and there is evendoubt about Harold Haarfager himself.

Kings in the Danish part of Haithabu:
?- ?: Halvdan Vitben
?-798: Sigurd
798-804: Harold
804-807: Holger den Dansk
807-810: Godefrid the Magnificent
810-812: Hemming
812-813: Harald Klak
814-854: Hårik I
854-870: Hårik II
870-890: Halfdan
890- ?: unknown
? -c.958: Gorm den Gamle

Denmark is united in one kingdom:
950-985: Harold I Blaatand, first king of a united Denmark

Dansk konge med sæde i Jelling; havde også tilnavnet "Løge", d.v.s. "dendvaske". Han var gift med Thyra og rejste sten over hende i Jelling, hvorde begge begravedes i kæmpehøje. Sønnen Harald Blåtend rejste dem denstore Jelling-sten.

Til trods for al usikkerhed er Gorm den første danske konge efter 873,som er mere end et navn for os. Runestenene i Jelling bekræfter at Haraldvar hans søn og efterfølger og at Gorms hustru, Haralds mor, hed Tyre.Disse indskrifter og andre mindesmærker på stedet viser at Jelling var etvigtigt centrum for begge kongers virke.

Ifølge Saxo er Thyra Danebod datter af den engelske konge Æthelreth.Ifølge islændingene er hun datter af Klak Harald, der er konge iJylland. Ifølge Olav Tryggvasons saga er han jarl i Holsten,formodentlig en forveksling med den danske konge, der i 826 blev døbt iIngelsheim. På den lille runesten mellem højene i Jelling står: "Gormkonge gjorde dette dødsminde efter sin kone Thorwi, Danmarks pryd."

Gorm blev først begravet i den store nordlige Jellinghøj, men efterHaralds omvendelse blev liget flyttet og gravlagt under gulvet midt i denkirke, som Harald byggede i nærheden. Det meste af Gorms skelet er nyligblevet fundet, og det viser at han var 40 - 50 år gammel ved sin død. Hanvar ca. 172 cm. høj og ikke særlig kraftigt bygget. Efter undersøgelse afknogleresterne erklæres det, at han i lighed med de fleste midaldrendedanskere led af osteoarthritis i den nederste del af rygsøjlen. Der erfundet 72 knoglestumper og 17 tænder.

Man ved ikke præcis hvor langt Gorms kongerige strakte sig, men man kanmed rimelighed regne med at han beherskede Hedeby og Danevirke, ligesomhan kan have haft magten over hele Jylland og naboøerne.

Om Gorms herkomst hersker der en del tvivl. Datidens krønikeskrivereanfører divergerende oplysninger; Det mest sandsynlige er, at Gorms farer Hardeknud; Adam af Bremen skriver ". . . da ærkebiskop Unni besøgtedanerne i 936 var Hardeknuds søn Gorm konge".

Fødsels- og dødsår er arkæologiske vurderinger. Træet til hans gravkammerer fældet 958/959 hvorfor Gorm den Gamle menes at være død på dettidspunkt.

Kilde: Gyldendal og Politikens Danmarkshistorie III, side 219-221.

Registrators bemærkninger og forbehold - se under Thyra Danebod.

Gorm er antageligt et kælenavn for Guttorm. Tilnavnet 'den gamle' harGorm måske haft i levende live, for hans datter Gunhild opkalder sine tosønner Gorm og Gamle (ifølge hvem?). Han bliver konge af Danmark eftersin far Hardeknud, dvs engang efter 934.

Ifølge Adam af Bremen var biskop Unni (- 936) på missionsrejse tilSverige i 935, og havde undervejs et møde med kong Gorm. Den beretninger dog for usikker, og kan ikke bruges til at tidsfæste Gormsregeringstid.
(Kilde: Bent Ousager i Skalk 1957.2)

Ifølge Dudo's Normandi-krønike fra ca 1000, var der i årene op mod 842løbende krig mellem Danmark og Sachsen, og Sachsens hertug Herman Billungvar en overgang fange i Danmark og lærde her nordisk. Desværre ved viikke om det var Gnupa, Hardeknud, Gorm eller Harald der fangede ham.Også i Widukinds sachser-krønike er kampene omtalt. I 948 er der 3(udenlandske) biskopper i Danmark,
ifølge Adam på foranledning af kejser Otto den Store (- 973), så tyskernemå have vundet i den sidste ende.

Danmark lå også i krig med Norge i denne tid. Erik Blodøkses sønner villemed dansk hjælp have kongemagten fra Håkon Adelstensfostre, men han slogdem og danskerne til lands og til vands, og krævede derefter skat afDanmark. Dette sker omkring 947.
(Kilde: Bent Ousager i Skalk 1957.2)

Gorm er antageligt gravlagt i Jellings Nordhøj, og begravelsen erårringsdateret til 958. Graven er siden forstyrret, antageligt er Gormgravet op af kristne efterkommere, og rimeligvis er det Gorms ben, der erfundet i en grav under Jelling kirkes gulv, men derom strides de lærdeendnu.

(Kilde: Knud J Krogh: Gåden om kong Gorms grav. 1993)

(Kilde: Harald Andersen i Skalk 1995.1)

(Kilde: Erik Kroman: Det danske Rige i den ældre Vikingetid. 1976. s93-123)

(Kilde: Salmonsens Konversations Leksikon, 2' udg. 1915-1930)

Fra Steen Thomsens database dec 1997

This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.

Gorm blev gift med Thyra Danebod _____. Thyra (datter af Harald _____) blev født før 885 i Sønderjylland (Holstein, Deutschland); døde cirka 935 i Jelling, Jylland, Danmark. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1/G2 d-not

Notater:

Jon Jonsen Litle (aka Joen Lille) was Chancellor to the king (Konglig
Kansler), and a member of the privy council for both King Erik Klipping
and King Erik Mænved. Jon was a Knight (Ridder), in 1258 he is known to
have been the owner of Tomarp estate (aka Tommerup) in north-western
Skåne. Named in 1262 as messanger (sendebud) for Paven. Also held
Tommerup and Hørningsholm. Was regent (rigsforstander) for Denmark, and
"Gældker" (Kongens højeste embedsmand = King's highest officer) in
Skåne. In 1298 he was "Drost", and as such his seal can be found on many
documents. See "Galenslægten", page 156.

This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,
Ontario, copyright 1990-2002.

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: d-note